France: Amnesty International warns of the psychological impact of insecure residence permits

The French system for renewing residence permits causes strong psychological distress among many foreign workers, denounced the independent NGO which fights for freedom of expression and against discrimination, Amnesty International, in a report published this Tuesday, June 2, based on the testimonies of health professionals and people concerned.

According to the organization, the uncertainty linked to administrative procedures, processing delays and the risks of losing the right to stay cause anxiety, sleep disorders, depression and, in certain cases, suicidal thoughts.

Psychiatrist Maria Tortelli, who works within the Capsys unit in Paris, specializing in the care of exiled people, affirms that “access to an administrative status” constitutes the main source of stress mentioned by her patients. She emphasizes that administrative instability “breaks them psychologically”.

The report also highlights the consequences of administrative delays which can lead to the loss of a job, social rights or even the interruption of medical care. Doctors interviewed indicate that some patients postpone important medical appointments in order to prioritize their procedures at the prefecture.

For Doctor Pierre-Henri Daculsi, medical director of the Parcours d’Exil association, renewal procedures can revive trauma linked to exile and cause psychological collapse in previously stabilized patients.

Amnesty International believes that the issuance of longer and more stable residence permits would constitute one of the main responses to this administrative precariousness, which has a lasting impact on the mental health of foreign people living and working in France.